Mirror advertising device



Aug. 28, 1951 J. H. ROSENTHAL MIRROR ADVERTISING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 25, 1946 INVENTOR. Jayafi Flawm/Za/ BY 1951 J. H. ROSENTHAL MIRROR ADVERTISING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 25, 1946 ////a /rry w; my F V m m c 7, W m 0 J V. B W

Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED STATES OFFICE 2 1 s. MIRROR ADVERTISING DEVICE Joseph Henry Rosenthal, Minneapolis, Minn. Application October 25, 1946, Serial No. 705,570

1 Claim. (01. 4q 1a2) My present invention relates to improvements in electric advertising or display devices of the type adapted to be intermittently illuminated by artificial light.

This invention employs a cabinet having a glass front that is specially prepared and acts as a mirror and is to all appearances and under ordinary conditions opaque when viewed from the front but is transparent when illuminated from the back and back of this mirror is a translucent sheet or sheets on which is displayed advertising or other matter.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a cabinet having a removable back member on which is mounted and removable therewith from the cabinet, a housing having one or more compartments and an electric light system including means for intermittently and successively illuminating the compartments.

Another object of this invention is to provide a self contained unit comprising a specially prepared glass front for the cabinet and acts as a mirror, a transparent backing for the mirror, an opaque backing for the transparent backing and having therein apertures that register with the compartment on the back member of the cabinet, a translucent sheet in each aperture having thereon advertising or other matter and a translucent sheet covering each aperture.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the drawings.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fi 3;

Fig. 5 is an inside view of the back member removed from the cabinet with all parts mounted V thereon;

back; and an endless retaining flange 9 on the cabinet 8 extends into the openfront thereof and has in its inner side an endless seat Ill for a self-contained unit II that affords a panel for the open front of the cabinet 8 as will presently appear.

I, The open back of the cabinet 8 is normally closed by a removable sheet metal back member I2. This back member I2 is flush with the rear edge3of the cabinet 8 and rests on the rear ends of ribs I3 integral with the top and bottom members of said cabinet. This back member I2 is detachably secured to the cabinet 8 by screws I4, that extend through holes IS in said member and have threaded engagement with the ribs I3.

The self contained unit I I comprises a specially prepared glass and acts as a mirror I6. The refleeting surface of the mirror I6 is indicated by the numeral II. A piece of clear glass [8 affords a transparent backing for the mirror I6. An opaque sheet of card board or suitable material affords a backing I9 for the transparent backing I8.

The opaque backing I9, has as shown, upper, intermediate, and lower apertures 20, 2|, and 22, respectively. Translucent sheets 24 have thereon, advertising or other matter removably mounted one in each of the apertures 28, 2|, and 22. Translucent sheets of paper or other suitable material 25 are pasted on the back of the opaque backing l9, cover the apertures 20, 2I and 22 and hold the translucent sheets 24 therein.

The mirror l6 and its transparent backing I8 are held in assembled relation by a binding 26. The opaque backing I9 is pasted on the back of the transparent backing I8 and overlaps the binding 26. Upper and lower turn-buttons 21 on the retaining flange 9 are provided for holding the self contained unit II in its seat I8.

A sheet metal base member 28 is attached to the back member [2 at its inner side by means of screws 29 and spacing sleeves 30 on said screws. A rectangular sheet metal housing 3| having an open front is mounted on the base member 28 which affords a back therefor. This housing 3| has on its back edges an inturned flange 32 that rests on the back member I2 and is welded thereto. A partition 33 in the housing 3| divides said housing into an upper light compartment 34 and an intermediate light compartment 35. The space in the cabinet 8 below the housing 3| affords a lower light compartment 36.

The space between the back member I 2 and the base member 28 aifords a compartment 31 for electric wiring as will presently appear. In each compartment 34, 35 and 36 is an electric light bulb 38 mounted in a two part socket 39 of the type in which the members thereof are connected by screw threads. The members of the sockets '39 are on opposite sides of the 'base member 28 and clamped thereon with portions of said sockets extending through holes in said base member.

The major portion of the electric circuit wires 40 for the lamp sockets 39 is in the compartment 31. Interposed in the wiring 40 is a thermally operated flasher switch 4| for turning OE and on the light bulbs 38. This switch 4| is mounted on a sheet of insulating material 42 attached to the base member 28 at one corner portion thereof. The base member 28 is cut away to accommodate the insulating material 42.

The back member [2 holds the front edgese'f the housing 3| and the partition 33 tightly pressed against the opaque backing l9 and thus makes each-compartment 34-, 35, and 36 light tight.

The cabinet 8 is mounted on a wedge-likebase. 43 which tilts the cabinet 8 backwardl'y into a.

having an open front, a self-contained unit removably mounted in the cabinet and afiording a closure for the open front thereof, said unit including a mirror, a transparent backing for the mirror, a relatively thick opaque backing for the transparent backing and having a plurality of apertures, a translucent sheet removably mounted in each aperture and affording a complete closure therefor, each translucent sheet being of substantially the same thickness as the opaque backing and having thereon indicia, and a translucent sheet removably secured to the back marginal portion of the opaque backing, surrounding each aperture and releasably holding the respective transparent sheet in said, aperture.

JOSEPH HENRY ROSENTHAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this. patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,268,895 Thomas June 11, 1918 1,683,263 Ruckelshaus Sept. 4, 1928 1,689,471. Andrusis Oct. 30, 1928 2,070,132 Kamm Feb. 9, 1937 2,221,887 White Nov. 19, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 504,831 Great Britain May 2, 1939 

